Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has been approaching financial agencies and banks to borrow Rs 25,000 crore in order to take up a slew of project.
The corporation has held a series of meetings with bankers including from the SBI and ADB.
The board plans to implement the sewerage master plan, strengthen the drinking water pipeline network, construct the ring main on ORR to supply Krishna and Godavari water, and build reservoirs at Keshavapuram and Devalamma Nagaram.
The estimated cost of the 10 tmcft Keshavapuram reservoir is `4,750 crore and the sewerage master plan, about `10,000 crore. The estimate for the 10 tmc ft Devalamma Nagaram reservoir is yet to be prepared. The board officials recently divided the proposed works into several packages and formally presented the same at the HMWS&SB headquarters.
Officials said that the proposed projects have been receiving lukewarm response from the lenders and will be put in cold storage until the loans come through. Sources said that it’s not possible to commence the projects without external financial aid.
Against this backdrop, an official said, The government has asked us to seek the help of financial agencies to fund the projects. Despite several presentations, no financial agency has expressed interest.”
The official said the financial institutions wanted the government to provide financial guarantee. This has been taken to the notice of the government and the board is waiting for a reply. The official said that if it received funds, the construction of the Keshavapuram reservoir would be taken up on priority as the land acquisition has been completed. The sewerage master plan will be the second priority.
